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Baby Friendly Team

Woman Sitting In A Chair And Breastfeeding Their Child

The Baby Friendly Team specialise in infant feeding and building close and loving relationships between parents and carers and their babies and children. The team offer support to staff and families, based on the UNICEF Baby Friendly Standards. Our service has a Gold UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation. This means that the Baby Friendly Standards are embedded throughout our work across all the Health Visiting teams in Bedfordshire and Luton.

Contact us

You can contact our service Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Welcome to our service

Our Baby Friendly Team focus on helping you to feed and build a close and loving relationship with your baby. Like everyone within the NHS, the support we offer is evidence-based. This means that the information we provide has been researched and proven to help many different families. 

We help the Health Visiting teams to support families with:

  • breastfeeding
  • responsive bottle feeding
  • building close and loving relationships with their baby

The Baby Friendly Team also help to support and resolve complex breastfeeding problems. We want to help parents to be able to breastfeed for as long as they want.

There are lots of ways to get support with breastfeeding, including:

Breastfeeding Support and Social Groups

Breastfeeding Support and Social groups in our area were previously known as Baby Brasseries or Breastfeeding Cafes. They offer a welcoming environment for breastfeeding parents and anyone expecting a baby. Older children and other family members are welcome to come too.

These support and social groups are a safe space to talk about your baby and breastfeeding. The group is an environment where you can meet other breastfeeding parents. You can also form a support network to help you through your breastfeeding journey. If you have any worries or concerns about breastfeeding, speak to a member of staff or with the other breastfeeding parents.

We encourage anyone expecting a baby to join us to talk about breastfeeding. You can meet the team and become familiar with the group. This can help you feel more confident and comfortable once your baby is born.

Find your local Breastfeeding Support and Social Group

All the Breastfeeding Support and Social Groups are drop-in sessions. No booking is required. Find opening times on the map below or download the timetable.

Biggleswade Library, Biggleswade

Biggleswade Library, Biggleswade, SG18 0LL

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Thursdays at 1:30pm to 3pm. There will be no group on 26th December 2024. The group will restart on 2nd January 2025.

Cherry Trees Children’s Centre, Bedford

Cherry Trees Children’s Centre, Bedford, MK42 9LS

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Wednesdays at 1:30pm to 3:30pm. There will be no group on 25th December 2024 and 1st January 2025. The group will restart on 8th January 2025.

Daisy Hill Children's Centre, Kempston

Daisy Hill Children’s Centre, Kempston, MK42 8QH

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Monday at 9:30am to 11:30am. There will be no group on 30th December 2024. The group will restart on 6th January 2025.

Dunstable Children’s Centre, Dunstable

Dunstable Children’s Centre, South Site Downside, Dunstable, LU5 4AS

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Thursdays at 1pm to 2:30pm

Farley Community Centre, Luton

Farley Community Centre, Luton, LU1 5RE

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Tuesdays at 9:15am to 10:45am. There will be no group on 24th and 31st December 2024 and 7th January 2025. The group will restart on 14th January 2025 from 9:30am to 11:30am.

Flitwick Children’s Centre, Flitwick

Flitwick Children’s Centre, Flitwick, MK45 1PU

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Mondays at 1:30pm to 3pm

Goldington Family Centre, Bedford

Goldington Family Centre, Bedford, MK41 9HU

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Thursdays at 9:30am to 11:30am. There will be no group on 26th December 2024. The group will restart on 2nd January 2025.

Hockwell Ring Community Centre and Family Hub

Mayne Ave, Leagrave, Luton LU4 9LB

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Tuesdays from 1pm to 3pm. There will be no group on 24th and 31st December 2024 and 7th January 2025. The group will restart on Tuesday 14th January 2025.

Houghton Regis Children's Centre, Houghton Regis

Houghton Regis Children's Centre, Parkside Site, Houghton Regis, LU5 5QN

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Fridays at 10:30am to 12pm

Leighton Buzzard Children's Centre, Leighton Buzzard

Leighton Buzzard Children's Centre, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1EW

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Fridays at 10am to 11:30am

Pastures Way Nursery, Luton

Pastures Way Nursery, Luton, LU4 0PE

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Fridays at 9:30am to 11:30am. There will be no group on 27th December 2024. The group will restart on Friday 3rd January 2025.

Pine Cones Children’s Centre, Bedford

Pine Cones Children’s Centre, Bedford, MK41 7SA

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Fridays at 9:30am to 11:30am. There will be no group on 27th December 2024. The group will restart on 3rd January 2025.

Queens Park Neighbourhood Centre, Bedford

Queens Park Neighbourhood Centre, Bedford, MK40 4LE

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Tuesday at 9:30am to 11:30am. There will be no group on 31st December 2024. The group will restart on 7th January 2025.

Sandy Children’s Centre, Sandy

Sandy Children’s Centre, Sandy, SG19 1HQ

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Tuesdays at 11am to 12:30pm

Shefford Children’s Centre, Shefford

Shefford Children’s Centre, Shefford SG17 5XA

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Fridays at 11am to 12:30pm

St Francis Church, Luton

St Francis Church, Carteret Road, Luton, LU2 9JZ

Drop-in at the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group on Thursdays at 9:30am to 11:30am. There will be no group on 26th December 2024. The group will restart on Thursday 2nd January 2025.

You can also download the Breastfeeding Support and Social Group timetable.

Bedfordshire and Luton Breastfeeding Buddies

Breastfeeding Buddies are trained volunteers with personal breastfeeding experience. They provide practical and emotional support for breastfeeding parents attending the groups. They show that breastfeeding is a normal part of everyday life.

You can find Breastfeeding Buddies alongside the Healthy Child Programme Team at our breastfeeding support and social groups.

Want to become a Breastfeeding Buddy?

Want to help new parents on their breastfeeding journey? Become a Bedfordshire or Luton Breastfeeding Buddy. Read more about the Buddy role and submit an application.

Read our information about how we welcome and involve volunteers.

Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024

Information

Breastfeeding support helplines

If you have a question or concern outside our opening hours, try contacting one of the following helplines which are dedicated to helping parents breastfeed. 

National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212, open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. 

 

Support is also available in Welsh and Polish via the National Breastfeeding Helpline. Call 0300 100 0212 and press 1 for Welsh and 2 for Polish, open 9:30am to 9:30pm. 

 

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers: 0300 330 5453, open every day 9:30am to 10:30pm

 

The Breastfeeding Network Supporterline (in Bengali/Sylheti): 0300 456 2421, open every day 9:30am to 9:30pm. If a volunteer is not available to take your call, a message can be left and someone will get back to you.

 

Breastfeeding Network Drugs in Breastmilk service: Find factsheets about many common medications, or send a message and they will provide a reply tailored to your specific situation.

 

NCT Infant Feeding Line: 0300 330 0700 (option 1), open every day 8am to midnight.

 

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Have your say

Please tell us about your recent experience with any of our services by answering a few simple questions. We want to hear about what you felt went well and what you think we could do differently. 

Your voice makes a difference and helps us improve our services for you and other families.

Adult holding their breast whilst breastfeeding their baby.

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